Satellite’s 10 Hottest “Must Watch” Companies In The Satellite Sector

For the fifth year, Via Satellite’s 10 Hottest Companies list highlights the “must watch” companies providing satellite communications, ground systems, manufacturing, imagery and sensing, and launch services. Via Satellite editors chose the companies on this list based on their expected activity for the year, and a mix of market share, transformational technology, ground-breaking deals, and overall industry excitement. The companies selected as the 2023 10 Hottest Companies are listed here in alphabetical order.

SPIDEROAK

When Viasat’s equipment was hacked in Ukraine in 2022, it raised the issue of cybersecurity for satellite operators to the top of the industry’s mind. It will be up to companies like SpiderOak to provide the solutions the industry needs as it is on the frontline like never before.

The company’s OrbitSecure product leverages blockchain/distributed ledger and no-knowledge encryption to secure the communications for the management of spacecraft and payloads, such that only authorized parties may command and gain access to space assets and their contents. SpiderOak had a strong 2022 with some interesting new deals in place. In December, it teamed up with TriSept to provide a comprehensive end-to-end security system capable of keeping critical space and ground operations protected from intentional interference and attacks. It also won a contract from the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to deliver the OrbitSecure zero-trust protocol on-orbit. It also teamed up with Lockheed Martin Space’s Mission Solutions business to develop and test a zero-trust cybersecurity platform to secure data across the space data supply chain.

The company is well funded and just closed a $16.4 million oversubscribed Series C round. SpiderOak is one of a new generation, a new breed of companies, that are focused on the security of these systems. It is a pioneer in many ways, but its work has also just begun.

Read More: SatelliteToday